EAS Rules

[SMTTT]

Hello,

A radio station licensed to Biloxi broadcasts EAS alerts for the six coastal counties only. However, its service contour also includes Forrest, Lamar, Marion, Perry, and Greene counties. On the MAB EAS monitoring assignments page (http://www.msbroadcasters.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=162), the counties are grouped by "local area":

LOCAL AREA: SOUTHEAST
(Covington, Greene, Forrest, Jeff Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Perry, Wayne)
1. WXRR-FM 104.5
2. WMAH-FM 90.3

LOCAL AREA: GULF COAST
(George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone)
1. WKNN-FM 99.1
2. WMAH-FM 90.3


My question: Are radio stations required to broadcast EAS alerts for all counties in their service contours?

 

[the golden boy]

Are you speaking of WKNN? My guess is that they're only responsible for the six counties they cover. As far as WMAH is concerned, they cover the whole southeast Mississippi area, so they would have to relay EAS information for all those counties.

 

[SMTTT]

The station that I was referring to is WAMH-FM, so thanks for answering my question. I have been in contact with MPB and their engineer claims that their EAS box is programmed to broadcast alerts for all counties in their service contour. I believe that they are being truthful, as they listed all alerts and counties that their box is programmed for. If they aren't receiving the alerts for their box to decode, wouldn't WKNN be in violation of an EAS rule? I thought that WKNN serves as the relay for the northern counties, since they're supposed to be monitoring WXRR.

 

[SMTTT]

The station that I was referring to is WAMH-FM, so thanks for answering my question. I have been in contact with MPB and their engineer claims that their EAS box is programmed to broadcast alerts for all counties in their service contour. I believe that they are being truthful, as they listed all alerts and counties that their box is programmed for. If they aren't receiving the alerts for their box to decode, wouldn't WKNN be in violation of an EAS rule? I thought that WKNN serves as the relay for the northern counties, since they're supposed to be monitoring WXRR.

Sorry, that's a typo. The station is WMAH-FM.

 

[K4WRF]

Hello,

My question:  Are radio stations required to broadcast EAS alerts for all counties in their service contours?

Not necessarily; it depends on what the Mississippi state plan says and who is defined as LP-1 and LP-2 in your area. At a minimum, licensee "city of license" for non-participating or stations not defined as LP-1, LP-2 or other relay points. Consult your state plan which should be on file at your control point along with the FCC EAS Instruction Handbook. At the following link:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278628A3.pdf

State of Mississippi monitoring assignments at the following link:
http://www.msbroadcasters.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=162

As a side note, a National EAN "Hot Code" exercise will be conducted within a year it seems.

 

[SMTTT]

I received another email from the MPB WMAH engineer. Their EAS box monitors WKNN (primary) and NOAA Weather Radio (162.400 mHz) per the Mississippi EAS plan. He has asked the National Weather Service if they would add the Pine Belt counties to their transmitter and he believes that they will work with him on that. If this actually happens, it would solve this issue. I'm not holding my breath, though. The EAS plan would make more sense if WMAH-FM monitored WXRR and WKNN monitored WMAH-FM.

 

[lfuss]

My question: Are radio stations required to broadcast EAS alerts for all counties in their service contours?

No. Stations are only required to broadcast the presidential message (never been done), relay RMTs and originate RWTs. EVERYTHING else is optional.

LF